Enteroendocrine cells switch hormone expression along the crypt-to-villus BMP signalling gradient

Produced by scattered Enteroendocrine cells (EECs)found along the length of the intestinal epithelium, gut hormones generate signals related to the rate of nutrient absorption, the composition of the luminal milieu and the integrity of the epithelial barrier. To study these rare cells, these authors combined the technology of single-cell sequencing (Science Breakthrough of the Year 2018) with a method to determine the age of each cell. As a result, they could study the development of EECs.